


Who Heals the Healer

by Emby



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Broken Bones, Child Neglect, Curious Harry Potter, Developing Friendships, Empathetic Healing, Gen, Hurt Draco Malfoy, Hurt Harry Potter, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Prompt Fill, Protective Harry Potter, Worried Harry Potter, kids being kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:27:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25874368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emby/pseuds/Emby
Summary: “I'm going to put it back up there." Harry looks at the shelf. It's not as sturdy as it looks, some of the shelves wobble when he touches them. Maybe from their mishap earlier. "I don't think it's a good idea." Harry says. Draco makes a face at him "And you call yourself a Gryffindor."
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 96





	Who Heals the Healer

It wasn't even his fault! Malfoy was the one who pushed him into the shelves, it's not his fault the potions fell. He begins kneeling to pick up the pieces of glass but a shout from the classroom has him standing straight. Professor Snape looked terrifying as he strides back into the room. It’s all Harry could do not to shake in his oversized shoes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Harry's mouth opens but he can't get any words out. He's grateful to Malfoy for speaking up "It was an accident Uncle Sev- I mean Professor Snape!" The boy's face heats up the damage already done. 

“ _Uncle_ " he mouths. "Both of you, detention tonight in the dungeons." Harry knows better than to complain but Malfoy lets out a long groan that makes Harry unconsciously stand between Draco and Professor Snape. 

Maybe Professor Snape was a better Uncle than Uncle Vernon but from what he's seen so far he can't imagine that being true.  
"Yes Sir." Harry nudges Draco away uncaring when the latter jerks from the touch. Just as long as he's put space between the Professor and them. 

Severus watches the two children walk away distaste coloring his features. He wasn't expecting the Potter spawn to already be causing trouble.but he's much more quiet than his father and he's not sure what to make of that yet but knowing Potter Senior there's probably mischief in those green eyes. It's genetic. 

Harry doesn't mention the detention to Ron and Hermione they’re already up in arms about Professor Snape, he doesn't want to give them more reason to dislike the man. 

Harry’s already tried to tell them adults don't like him, it’s a tried and true fact. It’s not his fault if they don’t believe him. 

Anyways he’s currently trying to figure out if he should knock on the classroom door or if he was supposed to wait to be called in. “What are you doing?” he doesn’t jump, Malfoy walks pretty loud. “Are we supposed to knock?” “Draco looks at him incredulously “That’s what you’re worrying about?” he snorts before pushing past him. “Finally you’ve grown the spine to open the door.” Snape drawls as they enter the room. 

“Both of you are Hogwarts students expected to behave with decorum. I know that may be too much to ask of you Potter butI expect more from you Draco, you should not be roughhousing in the halls.”  
As the door shuts Draco blows out a sigh. “This is your fault you know, Uncle Severus wouldn’t be so hard on me if it weren’t for you.” ‘I’m sorry.” Maybe it's the sincerity in Harry’s voice that makes that first sprout of concern bloom in his gut. (But it won’t fully mature for three years.)

The detention isn’t as bad as he thought it would be, it's not much different than what he’s had to do at the Dursleys. Only there’s magic involved which kind of makes it more fun. He sets his robes aside to start on the cauldrons not noticing Draco slacking off. Even if he had, again it's not much different to his home life. 

He leaves them to soak while he starts on the desks. It's actually fascinating to see what prolonged exposure to potion ingredients have done to the surface. He takes too long staring at the whorls on a desk in the back. “Neville sits back here doesn’t he?” he says into the quiet of the room. It's kinda funny when Draco jumps pretending to work. 

“What? I don’t look at where you Gryffindors sit.”Harry beckons him over and Draco makes a big show of looking inconvenienced. “Look.” at least it was something interesting. 

It’s nice to see Draco’s face go from bored to interested and the other boy goes around to the other tables investigating the patterns. “There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to them.” Draco says after a cursory investigation. “Well, your desk doesn’t have quite as many.” Harry points out and Draco’s chest puffs out a haughty smile on his face. “Of course, I know what I’m doing.”

Draco still doesn't help with the cleaning but he’s more amicable which is a positive from the way he’d been treating Harry since they met. He didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot, but Ron had been his first friend and he didn’t like how Draco had spoken about him. He knows from experience that children just parrot the things their parents say. Dudley and Piers were a testament to that. 

When he looks at the clock it's been more than an hour and he’s barely started on the floor. Harry wonders if Professor Snape didn’t expect them to be done by the time he set. It sets him on edge a little bit but Draco’s conversations distract him if only a little. 

A glint from under the shelves they bumped into catches his eye. “ Wait." Harry interrupts. “What! Did nobody ever teach you manners?” Draco splutters affronted as his eyes track the other boy who crouches at the shelves and reaches under to pull out a bottle. 

Harry holds it up towards him "This one didn't break." 

"What is it?" The label on the bottle is barely legible but he can make out something that starts with A- and he tells Draco such. "Uncle Severus always has his shelves alphabetized.” That reminds Harry of his earlier line of thought so he asks “Is Professor Snape _really_ your Uncle?" Draco sneers at him "Why would I tell you?" 

Harry shrugs handing him the bottle “I was just wondering, _my_ Uncle isn't very nice and Professor Snape isn't that nice either." (The sprout grows a little more.) “Well, Uncle Severus is plenty nice. You Gryffindors are just stupid.” The knot in Harry’s chest loosens a bit. He’s glad at least he's good to his nephews.

"Besides he's not my real uncle." 

"Oh."

Harry goes back to scrubbing the floor lost in thought. He looks over when he hears the scraping of a desk on the floor. 

“I'm going to put it back up there." Harry looks at the shelf. It's not as sturdy as it looks, some of the shelves wobble when he touches them. Maybe from their mishap earlier. "I don't think it's a good idea." Harry says. Draco makes a face at him "And you call yourself a Gryffindor." Harry frowns this has nothing to do with bravery but before he can retort Draco is already clambering up the shelf. Harry looks back towards the door hoping the Professor is and isn’t nearby incase something goes wrong. Harry’s not sure what he hopes but Draco said he's a good Uncle. 

He worries his bottom lip in his teeth nervously watching the blond boy and sees the moment it all goes wrong. Harry’s short stature didn’t allow him to reach any shelf higher than his arm can reach which is higher than where Draco was.. Those higher shelves were just as wobbly and when Draco steps on it, it tilts sending the boy tumbling to the ground Harry can only watch horrified as he lands with a jarring crunch.

Immediately Harry is in damage control mode. Ingrained into him from all his years at the Dursleys. He covers Draco's mouth cutting off the screams. Draco looks at him eyes glassy with pain. Thankfully the bottle didn't fall with him, he hates dealing with glass shards. But Draco’s right arm is broken, that much is obvious. "Don't move and don't make any noise." He rolls him to his back. Thankful they had taken off their robes as the temperature in the room rose.. it made it easier to work. Harry himself isn't sure how he does it, it's just something he had to learn at a young age. 

When they were very little Dudley had the bad habit of getting into mischief and when he would get hurt he would blame Harry. Then he would get the cupboard he hated the cupboard still does. Maybe it was self preservation that made him lay his hands on Dudley either way the cut on his chubby fist had disappeared. It's later when Harry is cleaning the dishes he jerks his hand out of the soapy water to see the same cut. From then on Dudley used him as his own personal healer uncaring of the physical burden he was placing on Harry.He knows how much broken limbs hurt.

Harry looks back at the door which hasn't opened yet, then lays his hand on Draco’s broken arm. He jumps when Draco screams "I barely even touched it!" "It still hurts!" Harry frowns “It shouldn't anymore, I fixed it!" He doesn't get to say anymore than that before he's yanked up by his arm away from Draco. 

His brain whites out in pain, eyes clamped shut in unadulterated agony but when the hand shakes him to pay attention he can't it hurts too much. 

"UNCLE STOP!" Harry is released and he drops to the floor the cool stone cooling his overheated body. He’s not sure how long he lies there trying to breathe past the pain. Uncle Vernon doesn’t touch him when he’s like this as if he knows he went too far this time. He nearly throws up as he scoots back to the wall breathing harshly through his nose. He needs to find a corner, he can defend himself better when he’s in a corner nobody can sneak -- no, that’s not right he’s not in Little Whinging. He shakes his head trying to clear the memory regretting the movement immediately. He’s just not going to move for a little bit, it should heal soon. 

When he finally opens his eyes he jerks back startled by Professor Snape’s close proximity. It must have been a while that he was unresponsive because Madam Pomfrey is in the room looking Malfoy over. Draco’s arm is healed just like he said. "I told you." Draco sticks his tongue out at him. 

"What did you tell him Mr. Potter?" He nearly forgot about the Professor.  
"He fell and I fixed his arm Sir." Professor Snape gets that look on his face that adults make when they don't believe him he shouldn’t have expected they’d believe him. Nobody ever does.

"I find that hard to believe when you're the one with the broken arm. I wouldn't put it past James Potter’s son to blame others for his misbehavior." 

"Severus, stop that he's just a child." "I'm not lying." Harry mutters petulantly as if the statement has done anything for him in the past. Maybe if he says it enough times someone will believe him one day. 

Severus frowns at the reprimand. "Can you stand." His eyes crack open warily "Yes sir." His frown deepens. Harry struggles to his feet flinching minutely when Severus reaches out to help. 

Madam Pomfrey extends her hand towards him smiling gently. “Harry can you come here please?" 

He freezes "I'm ok." 

"Hardly, your arm is broken."Professor Snape scoffs “No doubt from doing things you’re not supposed to.” 

"It's from when I healed Draco’s arm, It happens sometimes Sir." Harry doesn't know what he says to make the adults look at him the way Professor Snape does.

"That’s not healing, you just moved my injury to you."Draco pipes up from his spot on the table. 

"Well your arm is still fixed so there’s that" Harry points out.

"Harry." He doesn't like the look on Madam Pomfrey's face as she takes a step towards him and his composure shatters what if they send him back to the Dursleys for being freaky. With the way they’re reacting, what he did doesn’t seem normal. "Are you going to send me back?”

"Back? Back where?" 

“The Dursleys."

"Harry, I'm just here to make sure you're safe and healthy." She takes a step and he takes another closer to the door but the solid figure of Professor Snape is in the way.

A quiet pop is the only indication that something happened, well that and the fact that Harry is clear across the room. 

Three pairs of eyes widen in pure shock.

“Why didn’t you tell me you could apparate!” Draco yells hopping off the table moving towards Harry.  
Severus curses under his breath remembering in this moment how much of a child Draco still is when he’s not around his parents. Luckily Potter doesn't flee again, he doesn’t do anything other than eye the adults warily.

He angles towards Poppy catching her eye and she seems to be of the same opinion that they may not be reading the situation correctly. Severus can’t tell if the warriness he sees in the boy is from a fear of getting in more trouble or fear of them. Knowing his father, he assumes the former. Tales of James Potter’s behavior in school must have followed him growing up. He scowls. 

Poppy on the other hand treats him like a kicked puppy. "Harry. Draco says he fell from the shelves and broke his arm but you repaired it when you touched it, is that true?" She questions.

He nods sharply. 

"You haven't strong-armed Draco into lying for you have you?" 

Harry shakes his head vehemently as Poppy reprimands him. "Severus!"

"I wouldn't put it past a Potter to do so, I'm just covering our bases. Because I for one do not believe it." He sniffs. 

"But that _is_ what happened Uncle." Draco says. 

Professor Snape sighs heavily. "The reason I'm having trouble believing this is because there is no magic capable of accomplishing that." 

"Severus for the love of Merlin please be quiet." 

"Nobody ever believes me." Comes the downtrodden mutter from the boy being questioned. "Oh so I'm nobody then. Uncle Severus, Harry isn't lying and he's not making me say this." 

Severus is surprised, his godson rarely ever speaks for the benefit of others. "I told Harry that you're a good Uncle but you're not doing a very good job of showing that." 

What's interesting is how Harry's eyes widen in what he can only describe is panic before pulling Draco back away from Severus. 

"Harry, nobody here is going to hurt you, " He turns to Poppy exasperated "Of course nobody is going to hurt-" his mouth snaps shut at the venomous look she gives him. 

"As I was saying, nobody here is going to hurt you. We just want to make sure you're ok. I promise." She finishes. 

Harry eyes her warily before asking “This isn’t a trick right?” “Of course not why would they trick you that’s dumb.” Draco looks at the other boy incredulously. 

"No Sweetheart, I just want to look you over before you head to bed. That arm can't be feeling very good.” He shakes his head hesitantly.

This time when she beckons him over he goes. 

~

The examination isn’t as bad as Harry thought it was going to be. Dudley always made doctors seem like such a nightmare, even though he always had pocketfuls of lollies when he came back. He can’t seem to make himself stop shaking but it doesn’t seem to hinder her spells. “Harry.” he flinches, apologizing immediately and the skin around her mouth tightens 

Madam Pomfrey sighs heavily before composing herself. “You’re not in trouble dear, you’re free to go. ” Professor Snape is just as surprised as Harry “What?”

“Really?” Poppy gives Severus a minute shake of her head “Yes, but take this note please, I don't’ want you two getting in trouble for missing curfew.” 

When the door closes after the children leave. Severus turns to her, disbelieving questions on the tip of his tongue which fizzle out as soon as he looks at her.

Poppy Pomfrey prides herself on her composure. The ability to stay calm despite the gruesome injuries she sees during Quidditch season has been a benefit to her job but now. Now she sits with her hands tangled in her hair taking measured breaths. "Poppy."

"You should be ashamed of yourself Severus." He doesn't speak. "That boy was terrified and all you did was scare him further and paint him as a liar!" She looks up at the last word and he's surprised to see tears in her eyes. "Injuries don't jump like that Poppy!"

"And bones aren't supposed to heal in the span of 10 minutes!" She's standing now breathing hard. "I- what?" She shoves a parchment into his hand and waits. 

“This is impossible.” 

“It's not Severus, magic can bend and shape into what we need it to be when the situation is desperate enough.” She says softly “And judging by this god awful list, Harry’s been through more than enough.” 

As he takes in the list he realizes that she’s right, no child should have had that many broken bones or concussions by the time they’re eleven there’s more but he can’t read any further. 

It's his turn to slump into a chair. “Dumbledore-” 

“I’m going to give that man a piece of my mind, Minerva always said there was something off about those muggles.” 

“He said he was taking care of it.” he mutters. 

They sit in a tense silence ruminating on the information they've just learned. And Severus has to reconcile the idea of Harry Potter with the child he’s just seen. He’d been so blind, purposefully obtuse to make the boy fit the negative image he’d already associated with him. 

"I wasn't expecting this of James Potter’s son, I was expecting him to be just as spoiled and coddled as his father." He feels terrible now but when he had first heard the screams and then seen Potter looming over his Godson he saw red. Too many years had he looked over his shoulder afraid of the Marauders being around every corner he didn’t want that for Draco. 

He promised to protect this boy from a distance but now.

“Severus.” he looks at her, not bothering to hide the tears in his eyes. “We have to watch over him.” 

The sharp nod is answer enough.

**Author's Note:**

> 1 down 24 left to go. [ Tumbly ](https://QualityQuill.tumblr.com)


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